Gratitude has power to transform us

What is gratitude, where does it begin and why is it important? The Indianapolis Star asked local clergy and religious leaders for their take. Following are some responses:

LORI BIEVENOUR

Associate Pastor, St. Peter's United Church of Christ, Carmel

My dog ate the corner of the manger under our Christmas tree recently. As a collector of nativities, this little episode hit me where it hurt most. It became difficult to write about gratitude when I was distracted by this instance of mischief. And yet, eventually, I felt gratitude for the whole situation.

Why? Because gratitude is more than being thankful, more than appreciation. Gratitude exists at the intersection of discomfort and awe. It emerges from a deep place within a person and causes movement of one's spirit. It develops from memories, and it inspires the future. Gratitude changes the heart and strengthens the mind.

And so, still pained by The Incident, I confess:

I have gratitude for this shelter dog who has invaded my life. She has taught me that relationships (even with animals) always trump stuff. Gratitude transforms.

I have gratitude that, of all my many nativity sets, the one that my dog chewed was my first -- the one created for me by my mother while she was still pregnant with me. How interesting: a period of waiting for one birth produced a gift that marks a yearly season of waiting for another birth. Gratitude humbles.

Finally, I have gratitude for the parishioner who sent me an email while I was writing this column. She had plenty to be frustrated about, yet she signed off with, "Gratitude Always." It was a good reminder of how much there is to be thankful for in life and how little we know about when and where gratitude will take root and grow. Gratitude refocuses.

So, thank you, Mia. Although my voice is one among many in our faith tradition, as a result of your need to leave a lasting mark on our holiday celebration, I now sit at the intersection of discomfort and awe. I sit, immersed in gratitude, and it's all your fault.

As Christians enter the season of Advent and prepare for Christmas, we hear again the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. During this season, I often marvel at Mary's response to the news that she would bear and bring God's child into the world. Though she was young and clearly unprepared, she responded with ready acceptance, saying, "Let it be with me according to your word." Then she sang a song of praise, giving thanks for what God had done, was doing, and someday would do in the world and in her life. My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

I suspect this act of thanksgiving was not an unusual response for Mary. She seems to have cultivated the ability to give thanks in all circumstances. That's what gratitude is -- the deliberate choice to be grateful rather than grumpy. Many of us might have responded to Mary's unusual news with anxiety, self-pity, shame or blame. Instead, Mary responded with empowering gratitude. Her inclination toward thanksgiving allowed her to accept and embrace the circumstances in which she found herself.

Practicing gratitude can have a similar effect in our lives. Sometimes, not always, gratitude may transform a situation, allowing positive energy to overpower negative attitudes and behaviors. However, even if gratitude does not change the situation, it still usually will transform us. Are you in conflict with someone? Try expressing gratitude for that person, either in your prayers or in direct conversation, and see how the relationship changes. Are you struggling with worry or pain? Remembering things for which you are thankful grants you a different perspective. Gratitude opens our eyes to see God's hand at work in the world around us so that we sing, with Mary, "The Mighty One has done great things for me."

BRETT KRICHIVER

Rabbi, Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation

The basic theology of gratitude might go something like this: What if you woke up tomorrow with only those things you thanked God for today? Gratitude is about raising awareness about all that we have, and therefore of others who are less fortunate than we are. Judaism has tried to formalize this sentiment:

"Blessed are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to reach this moment." These are the traditional words of blessing, known as the Shehechiyanu, which Jews have used for centuries to express gratitude. The formula works.

In the earliest rabbinic writings, dating back to the first centuries of the Common Era, we find this quote, "Rabbi Meir said, 'A person is obligated to offer one hundred blessings every day.' As the Bible says: 'What does God ask from you, only to fear the Lord your God, to follow God's ways and to love God.' " (Deut. 10:12)

Rabbi Meir goes on to explain that if you change the word "what" -- "mah" in Hebrew, to "meah," or one hundred, then the verse reads, "One hundred does God ask from you." It's a fancy word trick to prove Meir's point: that rabbis will stop at nothing to get us to offer more blessings of thanksgiving.

Jewish tradition is filled with blessings -- there are blessings for waking up in the morning, a blessing for seeing a rainbow, a blessing for breaking bread together, even a special prayer of gratitude for our bodies' functions to be recited after using a bathroom. If you've ever experienced a medical problem that prevented this basic function, you'll understand how meaningful that blessing can be!

Who knows what tomorrow may bring? For today, may we all fill our lives with one hundred blessings.

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Gratitude has power to transform us

What is gratitude, where does it begin and why is it important? The Indianapolis Star asked local clergy and religious leaders for their take. Following are some responses: